Sumeru.
Sanctuary of Surasthana.
The moment the video ended and the rewards were displayed, Buer appeared on the balcony of the Sanctuary.
The Thirty's guards stationed here had already been dismissed by her.
She stood on the balcony, lifting her gaze to the night sky.
A magnificent, boundless river of stars stretched across the heavens. Perhaps luck was poor tonight—no shooting stars streaked across the darkness.
But Buer felt no regret.
On the contrary, her heart was full—overflowing with expectation and reunion.
The silvery moonlight fell upon the land, upon her white dress, draping her in a gauzy veil of pale silver.
The moonlight flowed like water across the ground.
At some unknown moment, the moonlight began to gather—like liquid silver—and Buer lowered her gaze to see a silver, luminous hand forming atop the railing, coalescing from illusion into reality.
She blinked in mild surprise—
then smiled softly, waiting quietly.
In the span of a heartbeat, the moonlight condensed the face she had forgotten for so long, only to rediscover again.
The face she had desperately longed to reclaim.
He stood there—white robes, a transcendent air like the immortals of Liyue's eastern legends.
He looked slightly different from her memory.
But he was unmistakably him.
Gu Chen and Buer locked eyes.
Buer needed to lift her chin slightly to meet his gaze.
Gu Chen saw many emotions within her eyes—
but none outweighed the joy of reunion.
If she were still the childish version of the God of Wisdom, she would have already been cheering and bouncing around.
"Long time no see."
Gu Chen wanted to say far more, but those were the only words that came out.
Buer smiled gently, reaching out to clasp his right hand, tightening her grip just slightly.
"This time, I won't forget you again.
And I won't let you go."
Her soft voice held unwavering resolve.
The more wisdom one possessed, the more clearly one understood oneself—
and Buer knew she could never be apart from Gu Chen.
Like humans cannot be without souls.
Like fish cannot live without water.
She loved her very first Great Sage.
His existence brought her a disease called love,
like forbidden knowledge—
but he alone was also the cure.
"My first Great Sage… I think I've fallen beyond saving. Without you, I simply can't live."
Buer chuckled lightly.
"Mhm~"
Gu Chen nodded slightly.
"Then let us never be apart."
"You won't break your promise this time?"
Buer blinked, remembering the several times he had failed to keep his word.
He was the one who made the promises—
and broke them.
"Of course not. This time, I have stronger power to uphold it.
Even if heaven itself falls, I won't break it."
He didn't say it sternly, but Buer could feel the absolute confidence and determination in his words.
The two stopped speaking.
Buer stepped forward.
Gu Chen naturally opened his arms.
They had always been in sync.
Buer leaned into his embrace, and together they raised their heads toward the endless, star-filled sky.
A seven-colored meteor streaked overhead like a rainbow, leaving behind a dazzling, dreamlike trail.
"Such good luck," Buer murmured, her eyes shimmering, her smile bright.
"Indeed," Gu Chen nodded solemnly.
[Nilou]: Waaah! A rainbow shooting star! I've never even heard of that, let alone seen it! (7s video)
[Collei]: I saw it from Gandharva Ville! It's super lucky! I wanna make a wish!!
[Kaeya]: Damn, why didn't you say earlier?! I was drinking in the tavern! Could've gone out to look!
[Nilou]: This MUST mean Mr. Gu Chen has reached Sumeru and is together with Lady Rukkhadevata! That's why the sky blessed them!
[Collei]: Moonlit embrace… rainbow meteor… confessions of love… JUST imagining it is romantic!!
[Tighnari]: If Collei learns more vocabulary just to ship couples, that's… actually a good thing.
[Ayaka]: Surely this is a blessing from Celestia!
[Sustainer]: Incorrect.
[Azhdaha]: Sustainer, what's your problem? Do you refuse to bless the Sage and his wife? You getting bold?
[Osial]: Say the word, my Lord Sage, and I'll take this pretender down! @Sustainer
[Sustainer]: (Furina laughing emoji)
In Celestia—
The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles sat on the edge of the floating isle.
Expressionless outside.
Dying inside.
Blessing from Celestia?
What nonsense.
She had created that meteor herself.
Not because she wanted to.
Because she was ordered to.
Damn it.
It's one thing to eat dog food—
but being forced to provide romantic scenery?!
Gu Chen, you're a menace!
Her face was full of bitterness.
[Gu Chen]: Thank you for the blessings. We're doing very well. (Selfie of him holding Buer at the Sanctuary gate)
[Kaeya]: STOP. This is harmful. It physically hurts me!
[Sucrose]: Yay~ (envy)
[Venti]: Delete it!! I'm getting jealous!!
[Furina]: So sweet! More! More!! @Gu Chen
[Nilou]: Aaaah! Too sweet I'm gonna die!!
[Collei]: I'm eating! I'm eating all the dog food!!
[Nahida]: You're doing this at the Sanctuary gate… (thinking)
You're posting dog food while THERE IS STILL SOMEONE LOCKED INSIDE THE SANCTUARY!!!
[Nilou]: Oh right! Lesser Lord Kusanali is inside! Can you move the camera so she can photobomb?? Please??
[Nilou]: Little Lord Kusanali! Help me out!
[Ayaka]: (Klee: charge!)
[Yunjin]: (Klee: your turn!)
[Nahida]: I want to help…
but how??
(selfie from inside the confinement sphere)
[Kaeya]: ?
[Keqing]: ?
[Sara]: ?
[Neuvillette]: ?
[Alhaitham]: ?
[Ei]: Why do you look imprisoned??
[Miko]: My my, that does look like confinement. Is THAT why Kusanali rarely appears in Sumeru?
[Furina]: NO WAY—how dare the sages?!
[Nilou]: What?! Lesser Lord Kusanali was imprisoned all this time?? How?!
[Tighnari]: Impossible… What are the sages doing?!
[Paimon]: Kusanali's locked up and you didn't SAY ANYTHING?!
[Nahida]: I… I couldn't. They threatened me.
[Zhongli]: Threatened… a god?
[Ei]: Last one who threatened the Shogun was Signora. She's dead. Oh wait—the video version died. Ours is doing forced labor now.
[Collei]: Must be the Fatui!!
[Dvalin]: @Childe @Signora Come out and get yelled at!!
[Childe]: I DID NOTHING I'M IN FORCED LABOR TOO DON'T ACCUSE ME
[Signora]: Why am I involved?!
At the Sanctuary gate—
Gu Chen and Buer exchanged a look.
"You didn't let her out?" Gu Chen asked, surprised.
Buer blinked, then shook her head.
"When I appeared, I was already here. I waited for you right away… I wasn't thinking about anything else. I overlooked it."
Gu Chen waved a hand.
"No matter. She's been locked up for five hundred years—what's a little longer?"
Buer couldn't hold back a laugh and nodded.
She hadn't been harmed.
So a bit longer indeed didn't matter.
"Let's go. We'll check inside, then go visit this world's Greater Lord."
Gu Chen smiled.
"Mhm."
They walked side by side into the Sanctuary.
The sealed doors opened automatically.
Inside, at the center, floating within the confinement sphere, was the pitiful Nahida.
"Great Sage! Please help me!"
Nahida waved her tiny hand miserably.
"How did you end up like this?" Buer asked in confusion.
This Buer was the reincarnated Buer—not the current world's Greater Lord—
so she didn't understand this world's history.
Nahida whispered timidly:
"I… I wasn't very smart so they locked me up…"
Buer fell silent.
Locked up for… not being smart enough?
That was… abstract.
She remembered when she lost her powers and became childish—
the sages and scholars of the Illumination Academy never mistreated her.
They even offered blessings.
Because the first Great Sage was there—
life had been beautiful.
Buer nodded slightly.
Gu Chen raised a hand.
Light touched the cage—
and it melted like ice under flame.
Nahida landed softly on the floor.
After who knew how many years, her feet finally touched solid ground—
and her heart surged with emotion.
"Thank you, Great Sage!"
Nahida bowed cheerfully.
Cute kid.
Gu Chen smiled.
Buer reached out to pat her head.
So similar to her own powerless period—
yet Nahida wasn't as lively.
Probably locked up too long.
"Lord Rukkhadevata…"
Nahida looked up.
The Archon she had always wanted to become.
Her idol.
Having her idol pat her head—pure bliss.
"Let's go meet this world's Greater Lord," Gu Chen said.
Buer nodded.
Nahida inhaled nervously, tiny hands clenched.
[Gu Chen]: (Photo of Buer patting Nahida's head)
Nahida's free. Now we're going to see the Greater Lord. Don't worry.
[Nilou]: Yay! I knew Mr. Gu Chen was the best!
[Collei]: But… if forbidden knowledge has to be eradicated… won't this world's Greater Lord… disappear? I don't want to forget her like they forgot the first Great Sage!!
[Kaeya]: Who IS the first Great Sage??
[Dvalin]: Bro that joke is OLD.
[Venti]: With the Great Sage here, why worry? If he can't fix it, even the Sustainer can't!
[Sustainer]: Correct—
but stop using me as a benchmark unit.
Under Irminsul.
Gu Chen brought Buer and Nahida beneath the dreamlike tree.
He stepped forward, light flowing from his hand into the tree.
Moments later—
a child identical to Nahida appeared beneath it.
She looked at Gu Chen, then at Buer and Nahida—
and seemed to understand.
"You're here."
Her voice was the same as Buer's.
"Greater Lord…"
Nahida stepped forward, wanting to touch that soft, childish face.
"It's alright,"
the Greater Lord said gently.
She had expected all of this—
and prepared herself.
"Must you disappear…?" Nahida's voice trembled.
The Greater Lord smiled.
"Once, I thought it was the only way.
But now, there are more possibilities."
She looked to Gu Chen and Buer.
"My other self… your lonely wisdom has finally found companionship. Congratulations."
"Wisdom is never divided," Buer whispered.
"The joy belongs to both you and me."
"Yes…"
The Greater Lord's lips curved in a bright smile as she looked at Gu Chen.
"My first Great Sage… I leave everything to you."
"Of course."
Light burst from Gu Chen's palm.
Irminsul's dreamlike colors were washed out by radiance.
Nahida's eyes widened.
She watched as the Greater Lord dissolved into countless motes of light—
all flowing into Buer.
Irminsul itself was being purified by endless brilliance.
"Th-this…"
Nahida, the newborn God of Wisdom, understood.
But could not believe.
This world's Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had merged with Buer—
as though restoring a missing part of her.
Or making the complete Buer even more perfect.
Nahida couldn't fully grasp the logic.
"Wisdom is never divided,"
Buer explained.
"I am wisdom incarnate. So are you.
We all originate from the same essence…
Only our consciousness differs.
Now, she has returned to that essence."
"Because of Irminsul?"
Nahida looked at the dazzling tree.
"Mhm."
Buer nodded gently.
After thinking a long while, Nahida nodded hard.
"That's wonderful."
This world's Greater Lord wouldn't be forgotten.
Forbidden knowledge was being erased.
Aside from not getting to speak more with her…
there were no regrets.
And… wasn't this the same for Buer?
Nahida looked at her.
"What do you want to say?"
Buer asked, smiling.
"I…"
Nahida scratched her head.
"I don't really know."
"Then hurry and study and work hard.
That way you can give me more time to be in love with my Great Sage~"
Buer knelt down and patted her head.
Nahida:
"…The clown mask is definitely on me now."
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